247 Tasting Notes

I received this as a sample with my latest ATR order. It seemed very interesting, very citrusy. By far, the strongest scent in the dry tea was the orange. It wasn’t a pleasant scent, but instead reminded me of orange flavored cough syrup. I was a bit worried…

165/2 min. – Definitely the orange takes center stage. (Reminds me of the liqueur Cointreau.) The taste mirrors the scent. Orange, orange, orange… and lemon. The citrus flavors are so overpowering that I cannot taste the bai mu dan at all. I was worried that the flavor would be a lot like Cointreau or orange cough syrup, but it is very smooth and not medicinal at all. As it cools down, it becomes quite nice. Frankly, this tea would make a great tea for those who are nursing a cold. It screams comfort, but in a sick way. (Now that didn’t come out correctly. Hm.)

Preparation

I think I liked your ‘not right comment’ the most…I generally don’t like flavored teas, particularly if they are flavored with ‘flavorings’ (oils, synthetics, etc…) I can appreciate it if its a natural extract or a zest or fruit leather or such…or a raw spice….but the trend to add flavoring to white tea is a dance to appeal to those who really don’t like the taste of white teas and are chasing ‘health benifits’….I like your honesty about its aroma and ‘cough syrup comfort’…

Dry the tea smells slightly tart. It’s a fresh green, with a hint of ginger. 165/1.5 min. The steeped tea is somewhat cloudy. I can definitely pick up on the lemon scent. It’s the most pronounced flavor in the taste as well. The ginger is there, but it’s very light. It would be nice if it were a bit stronger. The green, however, is really good. It’s a leafy taste. The lemons pairs well with it. This is a terrific afternoon pick-me-up tea. Very nice.

Preparation

This is an interesting tea. It’s made up of flowers. They’re a deep yellow color. They smell like black tea with that savory aroma of an assam. I’m a bit confused about the actual tea, though, because they are flowers and on the website are listed as a non-caffeinated tea. However, on the package, it’s listed as a green tea. I wonder if this is just a packaging issue. (EDIT: To clarify, it’s not a green tea; it’s an herbal infusion as it’s made up of the flowers from the tea plant. Thanks, American Tea Room, for the quick response and clarification.)

At any rate, 165F (73C)/2 min, now the tea smells kind of smoky. It’s not the smoke of a Lapsang Souchong, but rather the smoke of a campfire. More fresh, lighter as the breeze catches it. The taste reflects that smokiness and I’m left with a taste of smoked honey in my mouth. I don’t taste any sour notes, as the description implies, just a nice tea with strength. It’s very unique in terms of flavor and if it’s truly a non-caffeinated tea, it’ll be making its way into my tea cabinet… somewhere. (I’ll make room!)

Preparation

if you’ve never had ‘tea flowers’ from the tea plant …I know there are places that make it into a beencha disc, but also the Tao of Tea sells this ‘loose’ and the flavor is very much like corn husk and chrysanthemum….decaf and interesting

I bought this tea and liked it but I wasn’t crazy about it, as ATR has many great teas and this just was not my favorite. So, I decided I would use it up and ice it and quite to my surprise I just loved it and have bought it again to drink iced.

Thanks, Indigobloom, for swapping with me! :D It’s amazing how much a tea can vary from one company to the next.

This tea is really nice. It reminds me of TKY, with the medium flavor, the floral notes and the yellow clarity of the tea. It’s really a great everyday tea. The oolong is clean, medium in strength, not overly toasty, only slightly.

I wasn’t certain if this was the 1st grade Osmanthus Oolong, or the 2nd grade. There are tiny, yellow osmanthus flowers sprinkled throughout the tea, which is pretty and adds interest. The floral notes in the tea are nice, but if oversteeped, can produce a plastic tasting tea.

Preparation

I wasn’t sure either! the packaging made no indication, atleast not in English! I suspect it’s third grade haha. Overall, an entirely different tea in terms of smoothness and decisive flavour.
ahhh, the plasticky taste, I noticed that to but didn’t really identify it as such till you pointed it out.

I bought this with a summer sampler from Harney & Sons. It came already brewed in a glass bottle. Now that the hot weather is here, I thought this would be perfect to have on hand.

It’s nice when chilled. The first thing that I noticed is that the flavor is very muted. It is, as they advertise on the bottle, a soothing green tea. The ginkgo is pronounced and has an earthy quality to it. The green is quite grassy, but not vegetal. Overall, it’s a refreshing, thankfully NOT sweetened green tea that is very enjoyable.

When I took the first sip of this tea, I though, mmm… a refreshing Earl Grey! I drank it, formulating my review around the bergamot flavor, and then went to write my review. But, wait, it’s not an Earl Grey? Cinnamon!? Passion fruit!? Mango!? Really!?

This tea has completely thrown me.

It’s an Earl Grey. Only it’s not.

Dry, the tea looks beautiful. It’s black with long, yellow petals scattered throughout. It smells refreshing and clean, slightly spicy. 200/1.25 min. I went with a light steep. I’m really glad I did as this is one heck of a strong tea. It smells of Earl Grey. It looks like Earl Grey. It tastes like Earl Grey. It’s bitter like Earl Grey. Hm. It’s not Earl Grey?

Oh well, it’s still good.

Thank you, Indigobloom, for this baffling, yet lovely tea swap! :)

Preparation

Hmm, early grey, really? I never considered that! to me, EG tastes kinda earthy and floral in a bad way, but this one is more chocolatey. I updated the pic, is that what it looked like?? I’m wondering if maybe I put the wrong tea in the bag… but then I haven’t got any EG in my cupboard except my rooibos!

Profile

Bio

I’m a middle school teacher of French, Spanish, ESL and reading intervention. I’m also a mom to two young children.

I’ve always been a tea lover. When I lived in France during college, I really loved the tisanes. Over the past couple of years, I’ve branched off into loose teas. I’m not very knowledgeable about teas, but I’m really loving the learning process!